File SOCEs, remove campaign materials, bets told

MANILA, Philippines — All candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) have until Saturday to remove their posters and other campaign materials, and the last week of November to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“A reminder to all candidates: you only have five days or until Nov. 4 to remove all posted and distributed campaign materials in the common poster area,” Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said during the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday.

Moreover, BSKE candidates, whether they won or lost in the elections, are required to submit their SOCE, a comprehensive report about the campaign contributions and expenditures of political candidates.

Republic Act 7166, or the Synchronized National and Local Elections and Electoral Reforms Act, states that no elected officials may sit without filing their respective SOCE.

Candidates should file their SOCE at the Office of the Election Officer concerned on or before Nov. 29, or not later than one month after the day of the election. Those who fail to submit the document after two successive elections can no longer run for public office.

At the same public briefing, Laudiangco reported that the commission is still investigating 154 complaints of vote-buying. If there is enough evidence, he said, the poll body will file the charges.

As of yesterday, Laudiangco said the Comelec has formally filed vote-buying charges against 27 candidates and is set to file 46 more cases.

The commission suspended the proclamation of 256 BSKE candidates facing disqualification complaints for premature and illegal campaigning as well as vote-buying. Of the 256 candidates, 59 won in the elections.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos has clarified that the three-week maximum transition period set by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is to ensure proper and smooth turnover of the office and barangay properties to the incoming candidates.

“Let us clarify, they can assume anytime. Right now or yesterday according to the law. But for transition purposes they have up to three weeks because of the outgoing